In Aug 2016, RDSO approved C-DOT gears for Wi-Fi services. Soon, you’ll be able to access Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter and other apps onboard your train. Currently, Wi-Fi services access across the trains and Railway stations is being provided by the RailTel Corporation of India Ltd.

NEW DELHI: After the successful stint of installing Wi-Fi across 125 stations, Indian Railways is now looking forward to providing Wi-Fi internet access for all its onboard passengers for the entire duration of their train journeys, says a report in The Financial Express.

Indian Railways has already been giving Internet services on its premier trains such as the Tejas, Gatimaan, Delhi-Howrah Rajdhani Express and other luxury trains for quite some time now.

The internet services provided until have been through a satellite which makes them very expensive.

Under the new system, the Wi-Fi devices will be installed on a track-side equipment basis at periodic intervals for uninterrupted Internet access.

Research for the project is being carried out by IIT Chennai and Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT).

IIT has already developed a concept and C-DOT is working on an existing equipment which requires some modifications before it can be implemented for the trains. Indian Railways is also on the lookout for partners for the project.

As per a statement from an official, a pilot project will be started in the Chennai-Bangalore line soon.

The development comes at a time when Indian Railways is trying hard to get an image makeover and boost its present state of services especially in light of recent accusations made by the CAG and its efforts to match up to the aviation sector to which it is fast losing passengers.

Currently, Wi-Fi access across trains is being provided by the RailTel Corporation of India in association with Google.

The Indian Railways has also started providing onboard entertainment in selected trains and it also launched RailCloud – a virtual server with an inbuilt security system that will enable faster connectivity at a reduced cost.

Wi-Fi technology of state-run Centre for Development of Telematics (CDOT) has been approved by Indian Railways. Most of the equipment installed in Indian telecom network were imported earlier. Approval of C-DoT Wi-Fi equipment will help deployment of indigenously made gears. The company is in the advanced stages of developing of 5G technology.